New Beginning
by barbiegirlxox
Summary: Edward finds the cure against immortality and becomes a human alongside his family. Can he find his true love? And can Bella settle in a new country?
1. Prolog

Prolog  
** Edward POV **

Its the same yet again as it has been for the last 100 years of my life. My head is full of other people's thoughts, but today something is different. Alice has had a vision that keeps my family on their toes - Aro is coming and along with him the rest of the Volturi as well. We have no clue as to what he wants and Esme is very nervous. She dares to think what the rest of us doesn't: Is this the end for us? Will there be a Cullen-clan after tonight?

We won't give up, and we won't go down without a fight, we all agree on that. We haven't said it out loud, but we know. Alice and Rosalie are of other thoughts though. Alice doesn't think they have come to do us any harm, and Rosalie thinks they have come to talk to Carlisle

Jasper and Emmett are already ready to fight for their lives while I don't know how I feel in all of this. For 125 years I've been alone and without the love I've always craved. I've thought about joining the Volturies more than once.. It's just .. Something seems to keep me from doing it. Mostly my family's love for me keeps me from doing it, that's for sure- especially Carlisle's. I know he wouldn't say it, but I would know that it would sadden him a lot and disappoint him the least.

The Volturi is approaching us fast, and we're running to the Baseball-field as fast as possible. It's mixed feelings amongst us all, but we're doing this. We have to. The Volturies thoughts are already starting to become visible for me. I can already hear Caius disgust towards me and my family. I can also hear Marcus' indifference towards everything.

When we arrive to the field we all share worried glances, but we know that we together as a family can accomplish what must be accomplished.

 _I don't think it's going to end badly, Edward – Aro hasn't made up his mind about presenting his idea, whatever it might be, to us but I know he has something up his sleeve and not necessarily something bad,_ Alice thinks. In her mind thousands of different scenarios goes through her mind, not one of them lets us know what is going on, yet none of them hurts us either.  
Alice's gentle thoughts and calmness calms both Jasper and I, and we both ease up.

Before Alice gets to inform our family The Volturi stands before us.

"Well, hallo there old friend," Aro says in a gentle voice, while his thoughts are calm and collected and doesn't give away anything. I suspect that's because of me.

"Welcome to Washington, Aro. What might bring you here?" Carlisle said without a trace of emotion in his voice.

"I'll jump right to it, dear Carlisle. We might have discovered a cure against immortality and we need young Edward's help to get it."

Everyone turned towards me with confused expressions, and every thought were directed towards me. They all looked upon me as if I already knew what was going on. Yet none of the Volturies thoughts gave anything away.

"I'm just as confused as you guys," I said directed towards no one specifically.

Aro let his guard down, and thoughts flashed through his mind. Pictures of tombs, dead bodies, blood and a bottle with the darkest blood I'd ever seen crossed my mind as they formed in his – these thoughts were just some of the thoughts that flashed through him. He looked me straight in the eyes while he said: "You have to join us in the hunt after the cure, and we will give it to you and your family as a reward, if you deny, the cure will forever be denied your family."

I knew why he would give the cure to us. He saw us as a liability – we were a big coven and he feared we would one day outgrow the Volturi; as mortals again we would no longer be seen as a threat towards him and the Volturi.

I felt torn. From what I could gather in Aro's thought he meant no ill towards us. He needed me because I had the ability to read other peoples thought. I was the greatest hope he had of getting what he wanted.

Before I had the chance to answer Rosalie said: "He'll do it"

And before _I_ knew it I was with Aro, Caius and Marcus on a hunt after the cure against immortality.

The hunt for immortality gave me hope. Maybe mortality could give me what I hoped for most: Love, freedom and hope for happiness.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

** Bella POV**

I had packed my things and collected my boarding pass. I kissed my niece on the forehead waved goodbye to my family as I boarded the plane. As I sat down in my seat, I sighed with relief. A new beginning was finally happening to me! Butterflies filled my stomach.

I got to leave everything behind and start over again in a new country – something I'd always dreamed off. When I arrive in Seattle, a new apartment and a new job would be waiting for me. All my things would already be sitting in my new apartment and waiting for me to arrive. On Monday I would start teaching a kindergarten class in downtown Seattle and my new life would officially begin.

The empty feeling I had had in my stomach ever since the break-up with Jacob was finally starting to leave me. I have decided that I would leave it all behind me here in Stockholm with my sister and the rest of my family. I would only bring with me the good memories and my family with me in my heart, and I would return to Sweden one day feeling like my old self – or even better: a new self. And hopefully I would be happy.

I smiled to myself as I opened my book, took my headphones in and relaxed into my seat as the plane took off. I closed my eyes and sighed with relief.

Everything would be better now. I just knew it. I had a feeling that it would all be better when I arrived in Seattle to a new life.

When the plane after hours and hours in the air finally landed in Seattle, it took me longer to haul a taxi than I had expected, and I arrived to my new home in the middle of the night. It was all a bit overwhelming, but the excitement of the new adventure I had begun on outshined every worry I had. Just the thought of being in America made me feel so relieved.

I opened the door to my apartment, which I had only seen pictures of online. I knew that I had taken a big risk by signing the papers already before I had seen it in real life, but I had to take the chance. It was not as expected of course, but I had a feeling about that a long time before I arrived. Yet, it didn't seem to knock me out all. I had managed to bring the price down to a reasonable price, and It wasn't bad at all. It just need a good cleaning up and some light, and well, maybe some new paint. 12 moving boxes stood in the middle of the living room and filled everything. In there all my things and clothes were and I felt my heart fill with love for this place already. I didn't care that it wasn't new from the beginning. It was a project. _A me project_ – I would change the kitchen over the time, maybe the bathroom too, all small projects that came when I felt I had changed too.

The apartment was two stories from the street, and not as central as I had expected but it didn't bother me. There weren't much noise, which I approved of – I liked the silence at night so that I could get my beauty sleep.  
The apartment was all very white and big, it was definitely bigger than I had expected. The square feet were well spent. The bathroom needed a hand, and the bedroom.. well, the bedroom needed a bed and some new paint on the walls. That I had in plan to do tomorrow – Small projects to keep me occupied.

Luckily I had a couch for the night, and in the morning I would pull all the moving boxes to the spare bedroom and it would all get better fast.

Within a week I had painted the apartment in different colors and added furniture. The living room and kitchen were all white, and bedrooms were grey. I was impatient so I painted the kitchen as well. The bathroom had gotten a turnover with new paint and shower, and it was now usable – I definitely left the bathroom feeling clean now after taking a shower, which I certainly didn't before. I had bought new furniture for the place and the apartment seemed more like home now that my things were unpacked and placed around the apartment.

I had started work last Monday and it was all very exhausting. Yet at the same time it was all very simple and not very time consuming. I had too much time on my hands and I didn't feel like there was much to the city that I hadn't yet explored. I'd seen the Space Needle, and the Pike Place Market; and God I loved that market! The Woodland park was my favorite though. But Seattle was getting boring. Too boring. I starting thinking it had all been a mistake and I wanted to go back home. What had I even been thinking? That I could run from my grief, and if I moved half way across the world I would escape from Jacob? He was still in my thoughts and he hadn't stopped existing just because I lived here now. He certainly hadn't stopped contacting me, and every night when I had signed on to Facebook I would see his updates, his messages alongside pictures of my niece. I was a coward. I had come here to escape my problems instead of confronting them head-on. That was the definition of a coward.

I had had in mind that the moment I would arrive in America people would welcome me warmly with their arms open and I would become friends with everybody, but it didn't happen. This wasn't an episode of _Friends_ , this was real life. People greeted, and yes, they were much more friendlier than the Swedish population, but it was home. I felt so lovely – even more so than I did after the break-up back in Stockholm.

I felt like I scrapped the bottom of self-pity and loneliness when I was walking home from work one afternoon. Then I stumbled upon a little shop, _"Alice's"_.  
It looked like an antic shop, but once I entered, it was all white unlike the usual antic shops. The walls were filled with old paintings mixed with new arts and it gave the room a personal touch of some sort. At first I thought it was a coffee shop, but all the shelves were filled with different things with price tags - it had everything from plants to jewelries to pictures and other keepsakes. It was simple and beautiful. It made me feel like _home_ in the oddest way. And it did sell coffee, so it quickly became my favorite place in Seattle.

I started coming there every day after work to get myself a cup of coffee and prepare work for the upcoming day.

Every day it was the same woman behind the register. I think her name was Rose, but I wasn't entirely sure. She was incredibly beautiful. As in really _really_ beautiful. Rose had the kind of beauty every woman dreamt of, myself included. I felt misplaced when I was around her, but I came for the calmness and quiet of the shop. It was a perfect place to prepare work and swipe left on my Tinder-app.

Rose was really nice, and after a while she knew I would come by every day after work. She started having my coffee ready when I entered every day.

It made me feel very welcome in this odd country, which wasn't anything like I had expected when I first arrived here.

Rose was kind, and she always spoke of her boy, Henry. The third day I had come he was here with his father. He was adorable. He could not have been more than three, but he had stolen my heart from the moment I first saw him. Both his father and mother shun with love towards him.

After three weeks I entered the shop and Rose were nowhere in sight. I felt a slight disappointment – she had started to become a good friend of mine. My only friend actually. It was nice to see her.

"Hi, and welcome, I'm Alice. How may I help you?" the little tiny woman behind the register said as I entered. She looked not much older than 23, but she was just as beautiful as Rose. Alice just had dark hair instead of blonde. She had a huge grin on her face, and she looked cheery. Not many Americans looked happy when you saw them in their everyday lives, but Alice most certainly did.

"hi, I'm Bella. You must be the owner – it's nice to meet you!" I said as I had entered. "I would like a cup of coffee – black, please" I ordered as I put down my bag on the first empty chair I came across. I had tons of emails to answer from my sister. She had sent me massive amounts of picture of my niece, Sophie, ever since I left. I missed them all like crazy and I needed to give them an update regarding my life over her. I wrote with her every day, but not in details. She was busy – the all were. My mother was going crazy that I did not call her back either, so it was time to update them for sure.

"Coming right up!" the tiny female chippered, and within a moment, she stood in front of me with the coffee can, two cups and a cake. She sat down and began to talk out of the blue:

"I think I had a dream about you last night" she said in the gentlest of voices as she placed her head in her hands. Her brown eyes shun as she spoke, "You have been coming here for the last couple of weeks haven't you? My sister, Rosalie, has spoken a lot about you. She adores you! She says you come from Sweden, am I right? I have been there a couple of times, it's very beautiful. Why have you come to America, if I may ask?" her facial expressions kept changing between every sentences she said. She seemed very energetic and sweet. She seemed generally interested in me, and it warmed my heart. She was so nice.

"Yes, that's right. I came here because I wanted to try something new and I thought: why not? It's all very.. _Interesting_." I said as I shook my head softly and took a sip of the delicious coffee.

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it? My husband and I once lived in Hong Kong for a couple of years. That was overwhelming as well. Such a change from the unknown! So much to take in, and so many things to observe. It's .. yeah, it's definitely an experience," she said softly as she poured me another cup of coffee and cut us piece of cake each. She did not seem older than 23 or there about but her eyes and the way she held herself with such grace made me think she was much older. I'd never been good at guessing people's ages anyway so who was I to say how old she was.

"Must have been exciting to live in Hong-Kong. What brought you there?" I said softly as I held my cup of coffee in my hands and sipped gently. It warmed my hands nicely.

"Oh, I loved the country and the language! We moved there to study for a while and Jasper, my husband, wanted to work there, so it was an excellent opportunity! Enough about me though, tell me about yourself!" she chippered gladly.

"Well, first of, my name is Bella." I laughed awkwardly; I wasn't good at conversation sometimes. "I well, as you know, come from Stockholm and I work in a Kindergarten just down the street actually." I said plainly. I'd never really liked to talk to myself, and I had no idea what to tell her. It wasn't like I could just tell her I'd cried myself to sleep for the last three weeks and ate more Ben & Jerry's than this city had to offer.

"Well, hi Bella" she grinned. "I'm Alice, as you know, and I have a feeling the two of us are going to be great friends. And ehm, Welcome to America." She smiled as she drank from her cup of coffee. She chuckled softly as she said: "And you're invited to dinner with me and Rosalie on Friday. No excuses!"

And that was the beginning of my new friendship with Alice and to a not so lonely Seattle anymore.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

** Edward POV**

Every cell in me is aching. Screaming. Yelling. Hurting. I can feel blood starting to run in my veins and it hurts – it hurts as nothing else ever has before. It is even worse than the change into vampirism. The fire in my veins feels just as familiar as the first time I felt them, but I am not any better at handling it. And the not knowing what would eventually happen was just as awful as the first time.

For a moment, I was sure Aro had made me do this search for the cure only to have me killed in the end. He has what he wanted now. He has the cure, he could now use it on anyone he liked, and I was his first guinea pig.

We had no clue if it would work. We had only hope. But I was going to be the guinea pig because Aro could hold my hand and know everything I had ever thought and the thoughts around me as well. He also wanted me gone as a liability. It was clear - my ability to read minds without touching people, unlike him, put him in a weak position. I was to be his replacement in the Volturi if I had only asked for it – and that simply wouldn't do. As a mere human I couldn't threaten his position, and I would be weaker than I had ever been.

Two whole years it took us before we found the cure. I wasn't sure if I should believe him when he came to us at first and said there actually was a cure. The only thing that drove me to do it was the hope. I wanted there to be a cure. More than anything. I wanted to believe it ever so desperately. I wanted a normal life. I wanted a chance to be human again and to live. I wanted a chance to live as a human, go to sleep at night and wake up every morning. I wanted the smell of coffee to be a welcoming smell. I wanted to take showers and actually feel clean afterwards. I wanted to taste food. Drink beer and actually watch football. I wanted to be normal. I wanted a life. I wanted to be happy. I craved it. I craved the normalcy. I wanted to go to the beach on a warm day surrounded by people I didn't want to eat and enjoy it. I wanted it more than anything – the first 90 years of my vampire life, I denied myself those thoughts, but sharing a house with Rosalie would eventually make you want the same. Her thoughts were so enchanting, so sincere and determined.

I _understood_ her. For many years, she just generally pissed me off. She spent most her days in a world that would never exist, but what I didn't understand was that I at the time actually envied her. She dared to _dream_. She dreamt daily of a family of her own. She looked at Emmett and saw the father of her unborn children. She knew she would never have them, but she still dared to dream of them.

It didn't do her any good, and she usually spent her days in deep depression where only Emmett could pull her out of it, taking me with her. But her thoughts were just as tormenting as any other thoughts in my family. We all at some point wanted that normal life.

I wanted to give this to them, so I hadn't even told them I had gone through with this guinea pig-thing. They didn't even know we had found the cure yet and I hadn't spoken with them for a couple of months. I knew Esme would be destroyed with grief while I was going through it. I wanted to spear her that, and for selfish reasons I hadn't told them for this exact reason: If I died I wouldn't know that my family was grieving either and that comforted me.

I felt myself slipping away slowly and my thoughts became unclear. I wasn't sure how to form a sentence anymore, or to hold on to specific thought either. I had difficulty for the first time in my non-human existence to hold on to a clear mind and stay in control of myself.

I screamed - or actually, I tried to but no sound left my body. Every muscle ached. My eyes closed. I fought to open them again, but my body betrayed me – they stayed closed as my body tensed like never before. My head suddenly went all quiet.

I was left behind in my own betraying body with my own thoughts for the first time in over a hundred years.

Was I dead? Was this death? Was this how it was like to be dead? I felt a bit disappointed, but then I panicked. Everything was black. When I tried to think of my family, school, memories or anything I couldn't make out their faces, or places or anything. I had no idea what happened and the feeling of being trapped in my body made me panic. Except I couldn't even feel myself panic. I had no longer any feelings left in me and even my own internal voice was starting to fail me.

What was I to do now?

I could no longer feel my body, but the tension certainly hadn't left me.

And then I drifted off..

I have no idea how long I was gone but I woke up with the loudest sound I had ever experienced before. My chest hurt – and I could feel the blood streaming in my veins into my heart.

And for the first time in over a hundred years my heart beat again.

 _And that hurt like a mother fucker._

I heard what I thought was Aro's hysterical laugh as he said: "it's working, his heart is beating again!"

Before I could have any chance to gather my thoughts all pain left my body and I was left with a feeling of numbness.

"Edward, boy, what's happening?" Aro said in a gentle voice. "Is the transition completed?"

I opened my eyes, and Aro laughed again. "Oh, yes I certainly think it is. Your eyes are back to green. I suppose that must have been your old eye color. Red suits you better" he said as he shrugged.

I laid still for a long time as I tried to gather my thoughts. It was difficult to cope with. My eyesight seemed to fail me – or had humans always had this badly an eyesight? My hearing certainly wasn't great either and I could hardly make out what Aro said. My stomach felt odd. I felt nausea. The thought made me chuckle. I certainly felt very much human.

But the most overwhelming in this was my thoughts.

For once they only belonged to me. There was only my voice, the sound of my heart beating, and my breath. The thought made my eyes water. I liked to think of that as the new human reaction to the humidity.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

** Edward POV **

To be human is to be free. Everything is different now. So much more free. We have missed a lot.

Most importantly, ever since we all went through the transition everyone is _happy_ now. This is where we belong. It's somewhat of a new experience for all of us, and we all love it. We all live in Seattle. We have talked about moving to Los Angeles or Florida soon – somewhere sunny and warm. We want that after years hiding behind clouds and rain, and Seattle still offers that on a more than regular basis.

Even though we all do different things now we still stick together as a family. The first year after the transition, we spent most of our time at Isle Esme enjoying the warm weather, the climate and most of all the beach – and Carlisle and Emmett loved to barbeque. It was a perfect way to start our new life: Together.

Carlisle still worked as a doctor, and I don't think he'd ever give that up – it is his dream job, and Esme is very supportive of it. She herself works as an architect consultant in her own firm, which has become very successful over the last couple of years and that's their thing now. They work, and when they have time together, they like to explore with all the new human experiences there are. Esme makes a huge meal for him every night and often takes cocking classes when she can. Carlisle does the same and make breakfast for them. He didn't appreciate the cocking classes though. At this point I don't think there is a recipe left on this earth Carlisle hasn't tried and a breakfast dish Esme hasn't tasted.

Rosalie is working as a midwife while Emmett works as a lab technician, and well some would say that is their main employment others would say trying to conceive is their true work. For three years now they have been trying without any luck. I know Rosalie has started considering adoption, but we're all very supportive. We all know how much this means to her, and Emmett wants to make her happier than she has ever been. Every time we hear from them we cross our fingers that this will be the time they tell they've succeeded. I, myself, would personally love to have some new life join our family. And I'd like to see Rosalie truly happy.

As for Alice and Jasper, well.. they travelled the world after we left Isle Esme. Esme chuckled loudly when they said they'd leave to see the world again. No other people on this earth have explored this world more than Alice and Jasper have. What could they possibly want to see this time that they hadn't already?  
Alice came home with a massive amount of moving boxes and exclaimed that she would now open her own shop, which she did, and within a month everything was up and running. That shop was her child at heart – she loved that place, and so did the rest of us. It was truly a sanctuary.  
After the transition Jasper went back to study history and philosophy and he is now a history and philosophy professor at the University of Washington. For them human life was everything they ever dreamed off. They both love their work, and they support each other through everything as always.

.. I myself am now a children's pediatrician.

The first year after the transition, I was restless. It was living hell. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat, and I felt like it hurt to breathe. Every time I did manage to sleep I woke up with horrid nightmares in the middle of the night, and within a month after the transition I had drove myself to the edge. Apparently, not sleeping wasn't a good remedy for humans. Carlisle helped me as much as he could, and he gave me with some good sleeping medicine and they helped a lot.

Once my head was clear I started focusing on what I felt was important. I needed to find my place in this world and it wasn't easy. I played with the thought of becoming a doctor, just like Carlisle but I was afraid to fail. Then I considered studying arts, business, and astrophysics. My frustration of not being able to choose my path frustrated me just as much as my family, so much to a point where Alice eventually made me study fashion design for half a year before I realized _that_ certainly wasn't my path. At some point, my frustration towards myself got the better of me and I remembered I still owned the house in Chicago in which I grew up.

I don't know what exactly made me go there, but my restlessness towards my inability to choose a profession somehow led me there in hope of answers. When I entered the house after so many years everything was surprisingly still in order. I had expected to find it torn apart by thieves and homeless people, but it still stood exactly as the day I left it for the last time. It fascinated me.

And depressed me like hell, to put it mildly.

I couldn't remember much, and it hurt me desperately. I stayed there for days and practically didn't move. I felt like my life had been a waste. I'd been a vampire for over hundred years, and I could step right into my past without a change.

I drove my family crazy and after a few days - I don't know how long I'd stayed there – Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle came to see me.

We spent a week together in Chicago and they helped me find my path. I did want to become a doctor, and the fear of failing shouldn't keep me from what I truly wanted to do.

After two years in training, I decided to specialize in children.

After I had finished my residency, Carlisle and I opened a free clinic together. Emmett joined us not long after as a lab technician, and it was perfect.

The dream of moving to somewhere sunnier failed quickly though. After five years as humans, Rosalie and Emmett finally welcomed a boy, Henry, to the world, and Seattle soon became the place for us to be. We had too many ties here and this was truly our home now. We still secretly dreamed of moving somewhere sunnier, but there was always Isle Esme to gather us together in the summer.

My next step in life was now to find the love of my life. I was more than ever ready. Alice had tried to set me up on many blind dates, but nothing serious had happened yet. I tried to keep my wits together, and not give up, but countless failed visits to bars with Emmett and etc I was slowly starting to give up. It was difficult to combine past, work and standards – I had to keep my hopes up though!


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

** Bella POV **

Alice and I had become good friends over the last month. We saw each other every day when I went to her shop after work and we quickly grew very fond of each other and each other's company. Work was starting to treat me good as well, and everything suddenly went as I had hoped it would when I first moved here. It didn't feel so much of a mistake anymore, and my heart seemed to be healing well here too. Seattle had started to treat me better - and the people within Seattle as well. My attitude had changed and the city now shinned everyday of every hour. I'd even started dating. Nothing serious, but Tinder wasn't all about swiping left anymore now.  
Tonight would be my first serious night out with friends since I came here. Alice had planned that she, Rosalie and I would go to a bar and get a drink or two. Rosalie had told me that when Alice says a drink or two, it's not just a drink or two. I looked very much forward to it. I needed the time out from reality and my loneliness that - disputed the fact I tried to suppress it - grew in my heart. It was self-pity really, because everything was going much better.

As I entered the bar we had agreed to meet at I easily spotted them sitting in the corner of the room. The music was - unlike any in Sweden - at a nice level and people were still able to communicate at a decent level without having to scream at each other. Alice and Rosalie were both so breathtakingly beautiful tonight. I felt like the Joker compared to them – I hurried up, got to the table, and sat down to join them. Joker, or no Joker; they may be breathtaking but I was the single one.  
"I see you saved me a strawberry daiquiri!" I said as I sat down next besides Rosalie. "That's like kryptonite for me," I said as I took a sip from it.  
"We knew it; Alice put her money on it was your favorite drink. I bet on a mojito. We must get you drunk so that you can loosen up a bit. You need to live a little" Rosalie said as she took a sip of her drink as well. I was just about to say I was loose enough, but realized that could be easily misunderstood. Rosalie luckily didn't give me a chance to say anything before she continued: "God, I love Henry, but being a fulltime mother is some real tough shit, I'm so glad to get out of the house for once. I've wanted to be a mom for so long is almost forgotten how not to be one. Besides, I think Emmett needed to get out as well so I'm really glad Esme would take Henry for the night. I look forward to sleeping inn tomorrow, so I can get these dark lines under my eyes away for just a day or two." She said as she sighed. Alice nodded understanding.  
"Aren't you two trying for another?" I asked softly as I sipped slowly on my drink. Alice sat in her seat and danced from side to side along the music as she listened to our conversations She was always so energetic it was odd seeing her almost.. Yeah well, _non-energetic_. I often wondered how Jasper could handle her. He was so gentle and almost seemed introverted when he was around others. I didn't doubt their love for each other though. The looks they shared were.. _Breathtaking_. I wanted that too, I thought as I sighed and took a huge sip of my drink, and had pathetic flashbacks to the even more pathetic ex who spoke the name of Jacob. I shivered. I think I needed to get drunk. Yes, I really did. I needed to get drunk and find someone to sleep with – perhaps it would help on my loneliness and getting bad pictures of my ex out of my head.  
"Yes, we are," Rosalie answered and pulled me out of my thoughts. "But we have been ever since Henry was born. I'm starting to think it won't happen" Rosalie answered.  
"I'm sure you'll have another!" I said as I tried to lighten the mood a bit. It was easy to see, that even though it might be hard to be a mother she longed for a number two. Just the minute of talking about it seemed to drag her down.  
Alice grinned at her, as she clasped her hands over Rosalie's. "You tried five years for Henry. Another will come too, I'm certain of it," she said softly and with passion in her voice. She sounded so sure of her words.  
Rosalie tensed up. "Have you seen anything, Alice?" she said softly.  
"Seen anything?" I snorted. "What are you - an oracle?" Oh god, I think the booze had already hit my head. I should drink more often to get my tolerance up. Or not drink at all, I thought.  
"Rosalie," she said in a stern voice. I felt unwelcome. I was sure they were talking about something I certainly wasn't supposed to know about. Weren't they just talking about a baby?  
"We'll talk about this later." Alice said in a high-pitched voice. She got up from the table and asked if we would like some more to drink. I held up my glass and pointed towards it as I took a huge gulp from it – God I loved this drink. Rosalie declined and Alice got up to the bar.  
"Alice has some kind of 6th sense, Bella. I know it sounds weird and all, but she knows things other couldn't possibly know about. It's hard to explain and I know it sounds really weird, and its.. " she sighed and shook her head: "I trust her with my soul when it comes to knowing what's best for me. Anyway, I'm really glad you could come tonight, and I'm glad we've gotten to know each other. It's nice to have some normal people around us for once" she said as she emphasized the word normal. Hmm, I didn't feel so normal.  
I was just about to correct her on her "normal" -comment, when Alice came towards us with drinks and shots.  
"Take a shot, ladies. We have not come here to dance, but to drink!" she laughed and she slammed down a shot.  
We followed her, Rosalie too even though she'd declined. After five shots and four drinks, I was becoming rather drunk. The evening was most certainly a success, and the place had started to get livelier. Rosalie was very talkative and Alice was as kind as ever. Alice talked about the world, and her love for languages and Rosalie shun with love every time she mentioned her husband and her son. I talked about my family and especially my niece. They were both very interested in hearing about it all.  
"I think Emmett and the boys will join us soon!" Rosalie shouted excitingly as she slammed a shot onto the table. We had been here for hours now, and spent more money than well were. I praised the lord for my savings account, because these drinks were freaking expensive, but worked as a charm.  
"Jasper did say they might join us. Do you know when they will be here?" Alice shouted at us and almost spat all over us; the music had gotten louder over the hours. Rosalie flinched back and winched as she spilled some of her drink all over herself. Alice laughed loudly and slammed down another shot.  
"Say it, don't spray it, pixie!" Rosalie laughed and we joined her as she answered the question: "Soon I think – come Bella, we must go dancing!" Rosalie screamed at me as she dragged me from the table.  
"Alice said we didn't come here to dance" I laughed, but she took none of it. She was a tad drunker than me and I liked drunk Rosalie, so we went dancing despite my absolute hatred towards dancing, but what the hell; I was drunk and in a really great mood. I was surrounded by good people, drinks and good music. It almost felt like home.  
And so Rosalie and I danced for almost an hour before we were interrupted by an equally drunk Emmett who wanted to dance with his wife. At first I was confused and wondered where he had come from. My head was spinning and it felt difficult to stand still, therefore I almost literally crawled back to our table. I was so drunk I hadn't notice that Jasper and a red-haired man had joined us. Jasper sat across Alice, and I was so drunk I put my head on Jasper's shoulders as I'd sat down next to him.  
They all laughed loudly, and Jasper chuckled: "I thought Swedes had a liver of iron steel, Miss Swan?"  
I'd lost the discussion immediately as I slurred my voice. Slurring, when you're drunk is a weakness: "Those who drink on a regular basis do. I don't usually drink"  
"That call for another drink, Miss Swan, my treat" the red haired said, as he got up and walked towards the bar.  
When I had sat down I hadn't really noticed him. Alice had talked a lot about her brother Edward, who I assumed was him, but we'd never really had the opportunity to meet.  
I observed him as he stood in the bar. He had his back to me, but God is body was amazing - even from behind.  
And then - _Jesus_ \- he turned around, and I had a good look upon him. It felt as my heart had stop. All sound stopped, and I could only hear my heart and my breathing. Impressive considering the music was blasting so loudly I was afraid I'd have a permanent tinnitus after tonight.  
God, he was gorgeous. I felt inadequate compared to him. I sighed, he most certainly wasn't any different in that department than the rest of his family. His green eyes were so beautiful – filled with kindness and wisdom. And that hair. I had to sigh. And _oh dear lord_ , that beard that filled his face. God – he was so pretty. And handsome. I swallowed hard. How could a human look so good?  
And how did I look? I thought as I sighed exasperated and took a sip of some beer standing on the table.  
Shit. I was so drunk. My hair and mascara was most likely messed up at this point at night, and it probably made me look more like a raccoon than as a human attractive female who stood any chance with this perfect creature of a man. My voice also probably sounded more like a chainsaw than an actual voice too.  
Why did I have to meet such a delicious good-looking man when I was this drunk and this looking? If there was a God, this was his way of punishing me.  
Edward sat down at the table again and offered me the drink he'd collected. I thanked him.  
"This is my brother Edward I have told you about" Alice said as she gestured her hand towards Edward. "Edward, this is the Bella I have told _you_ about" she said with a glimpse in her eye.  
"Hi Bella, I'm Edward. It's nice to finally meet you. I hope you'll like the drink - Alice said it was your favorite, " he smiled warmly as we shook hands. When our hands met, I felt as if a shock of lightening had struck me and that the entire room lit up. Just one single touch and I felt huge butterflies in my stomach.  
"I'm sure I will. It's my kryptonite" I said, as my hand was still in his. He squeezed it softly which made me gasp softly, as my body warmed and I withdraw it in shock. Of course, when I withdrew my hand I spilled the red drink all over myself. It was of course just as awkward as you can imagine, and just as awkward as feared. I stood no chance now with red substance all over myself.  
God I was so drunk, and even though I was this drunk, I kept on drinking. I didn't care about the red substance or Edward anymore. I was a wreck. But the drinking helped. So I drank some more. And a bit more. We all small talked, but after a certain period of time I just couldn't grasp what they were saying anymore.  
Before I knew it I was back home in my apartment. And there were light all over the place, and my head was about to explode. I think I vomited. I honestly wouldn't be able to tell you since I didn't even know my own name right now.  
I couldn't remember much, but my thoughts immediately went to Edward. I felt a sudden need to cry and my behavior during the night angered me – I had most certainly ruined every chance of anything between us, I thought. I should have gone home to change my shirt instead of just not caring. I'd never felt like this before, or acted like that before, I'd never spilled all over myself before. I don't think I'd done anything other than spilling a drink, but at that moment it felt like the end of the world. I had never been that drunk before either, and all of it just angered me now.  
I sighed loudly as I rolled over on my bed and pulled my comforter over my head.  
I stopped breathing as I turned over.  
.. Edward was lying beside me all perfect and sleeping..  
W. T. F?  
It was him - wasn't it? I thought, as I sat up shocked in the bed.  
Holy hell: _it was him!_  
At first, after the shock had subsided I felt disappointed in myself. I'd never had a one night stand before, and I had certainly not had sex without being able to remember it. We couldn't possible had had sex, I agreed with myself as I could feel I was still dressed under the comforter. I sighed with relief. And a little annoyed that I was probably still wearing the drink covered shirt in my clean sheets.  
What had I done? How could I have been so stupid to drink that much? I'd never in my life been so drunk I couldn't remember anything when drinking. It was downright embarrassing – I had no clue if I had fucked up, or said anything stupid.  
I lied still for what seemed like ages completely afraid to move and wake him. One part of me didn't want to wake up Edward besides me, and the other part of me was afraid I'd make the whole thing worse by vomiting all over the place.  
After some time, and some more sleep on-off. I woke up, and looked over at Edward.  
He was awake and smiled awkwardly at me. God, he looked so handsome. I tried not to think about how I looked and just smiled back. "Good morning" he said in the sweetest voice anyone had ever said good morning to me before and it immediately made my stomach flutter crazy.  
Okay, maybe I hadn't fucked everything up, and maybe, just maybe, he hadn't noticed that I looked like a raccoon last night, or that my voice had sounded like a chain saw, or that my shirt was covered in blended strawberries from the drink.

This might just be my lucky day.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
** Edward POV**

Emmett, Jasper and I had been drinking most of the night by ourselves and we decided to join the girls after two. I had stayed somewhat sober, at least as sober as you can be after five beers, while Emmett and Jasper were rather drunk.  
When we enter the bar, I saw her right away. My eyes could only focus on her and her elegant movements, and she took my breath away right away.  
I knew who she was right away. Alice and Rosalie had tried to set me up with her at multiple occasions during the last month. I had declined every time – if I were to meet Bella, I wanted to meet her like this, and not at a semi blind date.  
She was incredibly beautiful. She held her body with such confidence and beauty. I had no other words to describe her – she was so simple and beautiful. And I had never reacted like this when I'd seen someone I was attracted to before. My body felt drawn to her. I wanted to step in Rosalie's place and dance with her, even though I absolutely hated dancing.  
Jasper pushed me over to the table where Alice sat. They took each other's hands and they both eased up. I sighed. I wanted that too. I was 27 years old – in human years that is. I wanted to settle down and be just as happy as them.  
We ordered some drinks and talked a bit, but every moment we spent there, I spent looking at Bella.  
I had no idea what was going on with me, but I felt like the world had stopped and only centered on her. My breathing was hitched and my heart beat in the oddest way – I could feel my heart beat and that was unusual. It felt as if it was about to jump out of my chest.  
I couldn't focus and before I had time to pull myself together Bella sat across me. She looked absolute exhausted and so beautiful at the same time. Jealousy flooded me as he put her head on Jasper's shoulders. She should be putting it on me, I thought. We all laughed as Jasper said: "I thought Swedes had a liver of steel, Miss Swan?"  
Bella slurred her voice as she said: "Those who drink on a regular basis do. I don't usually drink."  
"Well, that calls for another drink, miss Swan, my treat," I said as I could hear Alice chuckle besides me. I knew, she knew I was interested in Bella. No one knew me like Alice did.  
I rose from the table and made my way to the bar. Alice had whispered to order a strawberry daiquiri so I did. As well as two shots; and I drank them immediately. I needed courage before talking to Bella. I didn't want to waste my chances with her, and alcohol was a good ice breaker. I made my way back to the table, and offered Bella the drink.  
"Thank you" she said softly, and my heart skipped a beat. Even her voice was perfect. Heck; this woman was already driving me mad. She was so fine and perfect.  
"This is my brother Edward I have told you about, and Edward this is the Bella I have told _you_ about," Alice said warmly as she gestured her hand towards Bella.  
"Hi Bella. I'm Edward. Nice to finally meet you. I hope you'll like the drink. Alice said it was your favorite," I said as gently I could. Truth be told, I felt at bit insecure talking to her. I wanted to come off as friendly and kind, not like a 135-year old creep who felt excited about knowing her favorite drink.  
When we shook hands, my heart skipped a beat and my breathing stopped. Her hands were so soft and she felt so good and perfect.. and god..  
I felt so odd. So young. I was thinking about her hands, was all I could think. I felt completely misplaced, and didn't know what to do.  
"I'm sure I will. It's my kryptonite" she said.. I thought that she must be mine.  
She ended up spilling her drink all over herself. Alice helped clean her, and I ordered new drinks for all of us.  
As the evening went along we all got drunker and drunker.  
Bella got cuter and cuter.  
I didn't get more talkative even though that was my plan, but Bella certainly did.  
Apparently, she taught kindergarten and came from Stockholm. That placed her odd European accent and that only made her more adorable. She also had a sister and her mother were a teacher herself, which had inspired Bella to teach as well. She was so adorable, and I hardly noticed her mascara was all over the place.  
In the early hours of the morning and after ever so many drinks and beers she literally fell asleep on the table.  
Alice and Jasper had long gone home, and Emmett and Rosalie were on their way out as well. Rosalie asked me to follow Bella home, and I wanted to decline and tell them I'd order a taxi for her, but honestly, I would love to follow her home, so I put her around my shoulders and feel her against me. As selfish as I were I woke her up and we began our walk back home to her apartment. It wasn't long from the bar, and the keys to her apartment were easy to find as they were in her jacket. She wasn't much awake and she wasn't entirely asleep either. I should have dragged the poor woman into a cab, but having her close to me was everything I could want in this moment. I felt sappy. If anyone could have read my thoughts in this moment, they would have made me out to be a 135- year old creep, who were now happy to know where she lived.  
Her apartment was very simple and very .. Nordic. All white walls with shelves filled with books. Bookcases with vases and flowers. All very elegant and simple. She had pictures on her walls of what I suppose were her family – a female with blonde hair, herself and a tiny version of Bella; I suppose that was the niece she'd talked so much about. They looked alike, and Bella was absolutely beautiful in the picture – her blown eyes filled with kindness.  
I found her bedroom easily and Bella collapsed right unto the bed and crawled under the covers. I was so tired myself and I felt a little uneasy leaving Bella all alone when she was this drunk. I found a blanket, went into the living room, and collapsed unto her couch. It wasn't my intention, but it was 6 in the morning and I'd been awake for 24 hours. Not many minutes went by before I'd fell asleep.  
I woke a couple of hours later when I heard a loud thump. When I looked around, I saw Bella lying on the floor outside her bathroom. It seemed like she was still asleep, but I reckoned she'd used the bathroom and then tried to find her way back to bed. Drunk people did odd things – I'd once had to collect Emmett at the airport because Jasper had told him to take a plane to New York to get home to Rosalie. Onboard, half way to New York that is, he woke up and realized that Jasper had played him a prank. He most certainly wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer sometimes. Rosalie wasn't happy either and wouldn't come to pick him up when he landed back home again. He was still hungover when he arrived back in Seattle. Picking Bella up from the hallway was at least easier than picking her up at the airport.  
I put her back in her bed and tucked her under the blanket. I was about to leave when she held onto my arm.  
A quiet: "Stay" escaped her lips. I found it absolute impossible to resist and I laid down on top of the covers. Not many seconds went by before I'd fallen back to sleep - My head was starting to throb insanely and with the warm and lovely smell of home and Bella it was the best sleep of my entire life.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

** Bella POV **

My stomach was full of butterflies as he said good morning. I smiled as I greeted him with, "Good morning"  
He shook his head softly as he chuckled lightly: "I haven't stayed here all night so don't worry. I only stayed because you asked me to. I slept on the couch and you fell.. I hope it's alright."  
"I asked you to?" I said softly. Huh, my subconscious obviously likes him too. Thank you, subconscious.  
I was almost sure I could hear it reply with: now he's seen you at your worst. You should get married.  
"Yes, apparently you talk in your sleep," he chuckled.  
God, yes, of course I talked in my sleep. Obviously when I meet a handsome stranger, I ask him to stay in my bed and I'm not even aware of it. At least some part of me can ask him to stay where I wanted him. Part of me rejoiced over that.  
"I'm glad you stayed," I said softly. I was brutally honest for the first time and I guarded his expression with care. I wanted to know if he felt the same or if he only stayed here because I asked him to.  
He smiled softly and I could feel my stomach flutter immediately. God, that smile would be the death of me.  
"I'm glad you asked me to stay. How are you feeling? You had quite a lot to drink yesterday."  
"Oh god, yeah, that." I'd almost forgotten. "My head is throbbing like crazy but I think I'll survive. At least I can remember most of the night and the only really embarrassing thing I did was spill my drink, so I consider the night a success."  
"Well, actually you did pass out on the table and I did have to carry you home." He laughed softly. I think he liked that I was embarrassed.  
"WHAT?!" I almost shouted as I leapt out of the bed. He just chuckled as he shrugged. Of course he would think it was funny. Me, yeah, well, not so much but it sounded like something I'd do.  
My guess was that my head now was entirely red and I shun with embarrassment. I think this was on my top three of most embarrassing things I've ever done..  
I just shook my head in denial and laughed softly. "I suppose that must have been an experience for you. It certainly is for me – and of course, I'd do it in this foreign country. If you hadn't been there some creep would probably have dragged me home instead and done unspeakable things to me."  
He laughed darkly while he looked down unto the bed. "I'm not a creep but I'm certainly no saint either. I like you Bella, there is something about you I find enchanting and I'm glad I got to meet you, and I'm glad I got to be the one to follow you home."  
Those words completely blew me away. Wow. Were Americans always this open and honest? In Europe people often just kept quiet and one could go for a long time wondering if their feelings were mutual. Sweden was certainly no exception to that rule. When I met Jacob we hardly spoke for months before we declared our love for each other. This was much easier. I smiled. I liked this honesty thing this country had. It was a relief, truly.  
"I'm glad I met you too. " I wanted to say so much more. Like, how handsome, kind, and genuine he seemed to be but instead I said: "I have to take a shower. Just make yourself at home. I think I have some eggs and bacon in the fridge. You could make some breakfast and I'll be right out." I suggested as I sighed.

Why did I do that? I should have been braver. I wanted to be braver. I wanted to know if he was just the slightest interested in me as well. Instead I'd asked him to make me breakfast. I wanted to stop myself, turn around and ask him now, but before I knew it I was in my bathroom looking myself in the mirror.  
.. And suddenly I was very glad I choose to go to the bathroom. The person staring back at me in the mirror was as taken out of a horror movie. My mascara was nowhere near my eyes anymore – it was more likely to be lipstick than mascara as far down my cheeks as it was.  
Again I sighed loudly. Of course I had to look like this when Adonis was in my apartment. The thought of him in my bed made my stomach flutter wildly again. I could hear him in the kitchen – that, or my pans were making noise by themselves again.  
I had a man in my house. I hadn't even had sex with him. And he was making me breakfast. That was certainly a first. And I liked it.  
And he hadn't said anything to my new mascara "lipstick"! Or that my hair looked crazy! I desperately tried to comb it while I took off my make-up. I gave up when the comb got stuck in my hair. This was hopeless.  
I jumped in the shower and an overwhelming amount of feelings hit me at the same time.  
The most dominant feeling was fear. I really liked Edward and he seemed so down to earth. He was really kind and he looked good and he spoke so softly – with such wisdom in his words. I wanted to take this further and I knew I would regret it if I didn't give it a shot. I just wanted to be free and be happy and do what I wanted to do. I wanted to get to know Edward. But thoughts of Jacob back in Stockholm stuck in my heart - it felt like he was poking my heart with a stick. Had he moved on? What was he doing right now? Did he ever give me any thought? Did he miss me like I sometimes missed him?  
We had been together for five years. He was my first real love. At first we had a good time together. We were head over heels in love with each other. We even bought a small apartment together in Stockholm. We took care of each other and supported each other through thick and thin. He then went to Copenhagen to study architecture after he didn't get in to the University of Stockholm. I had stayed in Stockholm to study my bachelor in social education. We each had our dreams but we supported each other. He came home on weekends or I went to Copenhagen to visit him during the week. After three years he came back and we lived together for a year. I thought it was bliss.. He was my sun at that point. I lived and breathed for him. And most of all he was my best friend. We had a good time together. I loved him like I'd never loved anyone before.  
I just didn't know that he had found someone else in Copenhagen whom he also dated while living with me for the last year. The hurt that caused often still ached badly. My heart had been let shattered to million pieces.  
The thought of him mostly disgusted me now, but a part of me would always love him - I loved to torture myself like that. We'd had so many memories and good times together and those were hard to let go.  
I tried to visualize the water over me taking all the bad with it down the drain. I wanted it ever so desperately. I wanted truly get over Jacob – finally. Heck, I even moved away from Sweden to a whole other country just to escape all the memories of him and of what we had. It just wasn't as easy as I thought it was.  
And here I was 9 months after our break up and this amazing guy stood in my kitchen and was busy making breakfast for me, and I felt guilty. It felt odd. I felt misplaced.  
I didn't feel like my heart still belonged to Jacob, because it didn't. I knew that. It only belonged to me. I just couldn't justify my feelings. I sighed as I washed my face. I tried to shake the thoughts off me. And then the fluttering feelings of butterflies returned to my stomach. I think I might even have squealed a bit. I hadn't even known Edward for 24 hours and he could make my stomach flutter already.  
I was determinated to give this a shot. I owed it to myself to be happy again. Not necessarily with Edward, but it was time to get out of my shell, and explore the world and what it had to offer. And most of all be happy and free and enjoy my life right now  
I turned off the water and hurried finishing up. I had never in my life applied mascara as perfectly as at this moment, and I was ready to go see Edward again.  
I completely ignored my throbbing headache as I entered the kitchen. Edward simply smiled fondly at me as he gestured me towards the dining table.  
God, it looked so delicious. And he had even made pancakes! I was blown away – I didn't even know I had ingredients to make pancakes or that they could be made so fast! I was, to put it mildly, astonished.  
I hardly ever made food myself – I think I knew how to turn on the stove and the oven. I just had an irrational fear of it so I mostly lived of fast food. But hey, the calories no one sees you eat doesn't count! And Americans make delicious fast food as well. I cross my fingers my metabolism would stay like this forever.  
Edward sat down across for me. He poured some orange juice for me and asked if I wanted a pancake. I swooned – heck yeah, I wanted his pancakes!  
It was so easy to sit here with him. We chatted for a bit about everything and nothing in particular. And he made me laugh. He made my stomach flutter so much. And I made him smile as well. I considered this breakfast a success.  
After an hour we had cleaned up my kitchen. I thanked him for breakfast and for following me home, and then he went home.

I sat down on my sofa and put my feet under me. I knew I would regret that I hadn't asked him to come back. I wanted to see him again, but I had forgotten everything about it when he was about to leave. I was still thinking about the most delicious breakfast of my entire life. I wanted to invite him out on a date, but I felt so uneasy. I wasn't sure if he was into me as well or if he just wanted to be kind to me. I shook my head, tried to push the thoughts away, and tried to distract myself. I sighed multiple times – Had I blown this? I pulled out my laptop, checked Facebook for messages and answered a couple of mails. Texted my family.  
After 45 minutes of distractions and looking at baby pictures on Facebook there was a knock at my door. It caught me completely off guard and scared me; I even dropped my laptop to the ground by accident. I hurried to the door and as I opened, Edward stood at the door.  
He looked like he had been for a run. He tried to catch his breath as he said: "Will you go on a date with me, please? I – I should have asked you while I was here, but I couldn't pull myself together to do it and I immediately regretted it when I left, so here I am. I really enjoy your company. I would like to do this again – can I see you again?"  
Again this man had blown me away. I chuckled softly and tried to control the butterflies – they weren't the best mixture with a hungover stomach. I could hardly believe his words. "Of course I'd like to see you! Perhaps you would like to come for dinner here tonight?" I offered.  
I shook my head in disbelief. What the fuck had I just done? I wanted to woo this man – not kill him.  
"I would absolutely love to." He answered as he visually relaxed. Perhaps he hadn't thought I'd say yes?  
"Be here at 7 o'clock!" I grinned at him. He waved as he ran down the stairs with a huge grin on his face that must have absolutely matched mine.  
For the rest of the day I had a huge grin plastered on my face. And absolutely disbelief that he liked me as well.  
Now my task was not to kill him with my food and I had 5 hours to compete that job. And to find out how one used a stove.  
3 hours went by before I called for back-up. I really didn't want to kill him with my food.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

** Bella POV **

"Alice, I have a date tonight. He's coming here and I absolutely don't know how to cook anything!" I yelled desperately into the phone.  
"You got a date, missy?! Finally! Well, if you hope to actually get laid with your cooking skill you should just accept now that you cooking anything can't be an option at all. I suggest you buy take-out."  
I sighed. I can't make Edward eat pizza. I want him to have the best possible.  
"I can't do that. I want an actual sophisticated dinner with wine and everything, you know? Not pepsi and spaghetti with meat sauce-kinda date. He should not see that side of me. At least not yet, anyway." Pictures of Edward watching me sleeping while I looked like a raccoon came to mind. He got to see me like that. Perhaps he would actually survive if I served spaghetti with meat sauce? Perhaps I should just … No, absolutely not, Bella! You must woo him, I thought as I loudly sighed again. I needed to show Edward I could actually both look and act like an actual human.  
"I'm really impressed you actually have a date. I've tried to set you up like five times now, and you've been completely impossible every time. Is it someone I know?" she asked in her gentle high-pitched voice. Yes, all right, it's someone you know!  
"It'll be my secret for now." I said softly. "I hardly know him yet, just please, for the love of God help me with this and I'll tell you about the date later. I really don't want to screw it up and certainly not on the first date. I don't even know why I invited him to my place – I've never made dinner for anyone. Not even my parents!"  
She sighed loudly. "There are two possibilities to this, Bella, either I cook a meal for the two of you, which I most certainly don't suggest as a reliable option either, or there is that gourmet take-out place a couple of blocks from you. Check their menu and order it, place it neatly on some plates and take the credit for it. I've certainly done that to Jasper a couple of times, but don't tell him that." She chuckled.  
I loved this woman. She had quickly become a close friend of mine, and this was one of the reasons. I'd never come up with that idea myself. If I didn't have Alice I would have made Edward spaghetti and I don't even completely know how to make that without burning something either.  
"You. Are. A. Genius. Alice! Thank you so much. I think you might possibly just have saved my butt! Got to go and make a fabulous meal now, with a little help from our gourmet friends a couple of blocks from here!"  
"Call me later, I want to know how this'll turn out with Mr. Secret. Besides, I need new gossip! Have fun, and Bella; don't worry too much, you'll do great. As everyone will say, be yourself, it really is the best advice anyone could both give and get. Bye!"  
The genius Alice Cullen saved the day. I called the gourmet place and two hours later, and 200 dollars cheaper the night was saved. It was all so fancy and pretty. I felt almost proud of myself.  
I had even vacuum cleaned the apartment and put on a pantsuit and I felt good about myself. I was nervous as hell, and I'd even curled my hair. I usually didn't do so much out of myself, but I wanted to make a good impression. I kept thinking I didn't want the last he'd seen of me to be my drooling raccoon face. I wanted him to know I could look good.  
A couple of minutes past 7 o'clock I heard the knock on my door and my heart stopped beating. I got goosebumps all over my arms. My cheeks quickly flushed and my breathing hitched. I wanted this to go well, and I'd prayed more than once to a certain God not to embarrass myself. Even just a knock on the door made my stomach knot. I was so exciting, and I opened the door with great anticipation, and right there where I last saw him he stood again.  
He looked as handsome as the last time. His red hair pushed back and his beard shaved. His green eyes shun so much they astounded me. He awkwardly handed me a bucket of flowers and a bottle of wine. He was so adorable.  
"Hey! Good to see you again. You look amazing!" He said, and he kissed my cheeks softly.  
I could feel my cheeks flush again. And as soon as he had entered my apartment the awkwardness subsided. He was so smooth in his movements, and I could feel his eyes on my anywhere I went.  
Dinner was "almost ready" and just needed to be placed on the table. As we had sat down to have dinner the conversation flowed easily. He asked about the picture of my sister and niece in the wall. He said I lived very Nordic.. It was an easy conversation. We both eased up and I could feel myself relax and enjoy myself. He was easygoing. And hilarious. And so kind.  
And .. so handsome.  
I'd been on many dates before, but this time it was different. After a couple of hours I'd regret how much I'd done to myself – he made me feel so at ease around him. I didn't feel the need to be perfect around him. He just made me feel like.. _me_. We talked like we'd known each other for years. And it made me feel so at ease. He made me feel so comfortable.  
And most importantly he said he undeniably loved my cooking.  
If only he knew.  
I tried to hide a huge grin as we had finished dessert.  
After two bottles of wine we had learned a lot about each other. He was a doctor and ran a free clinic with his brother, Emmett and his adoptive father, Carlisle. He told me his parents had died when he was young, and that he couldn't remember them. He said he loved to travel, and had been all over the world. He told me he'd actually been in Stockholm two year ago on a conference two blocks from where I used to live. We had the same interests in books, movies and music apparently.  
He was an odd character though. There wasn't much he couldn't answer or had an opinion about and it was a lovely change of scenery for once. He had incredible knowledge and he was inspiring as heck to talk to. There was just something about him.. He seemed much older than his 27 years. He definitely had an old soul, and he looked at ease with himself. He was everything I'd ever looked for in a man, and everything I'd always hoped Jacob could have been.  
The evening went better than I could have ever wished and hoped.  
Before I realized it the evening had turned into early night.  
We'd gone to sit on my couch. We sat close to each other. I was so drawn to him. I could feel his warmth radiate off him and being on our third bottle of wine certainly didn't help. He stroked my cheek ever so softly. His touch was so gentle yet firm at the same time. I tried to think of a time when I'd had this many butterflies in my stomach and failed. Everything was so different from the others I'd been with – and especially how I'd been with Jacob.  
Edward made me feel alive.  
His smile was captivating. It was all I could focus on. And his shining beautiful eyes. He drew me in and it felt so natural to lean into his gentle touch, and before I knew it his lips were on mine while his hands kept stroking my cheeks and touching my hair.  
It felt so innocent. And good. His lips was just like his touch: His lips caressed mine as they fit perfectly around them. Our lips moved against each other and the kiss because more and more heated. Our breathing hitched and the spark between us was most definitely alive.  
The kissing session became more and more heated. Our hands were everywhere. All over each other. Feeling. Touching. Grabbing. Caressing.  
And, my god. The look he gave me. And the moans and groans. I'd never been so turned on before or felt so desperate to make love before. I had a burning desire like I'd never experienced. I wanted him.  
We undressed each other hastily and quickly ended up in my bed. Sooner than I'd had time to really think how this were going.  
I certainly don't think it was our intension to end up here, but in the earlier hours of the night Edward Cullen and I made sweet sweet love.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

** Bella POV**

The thing was.. I really thought sleeping with Edward might turn out to be a mistake. Previous experience proved that theory – sleeping with someone on the first date was never a good option, and it was bound to be awkward. But this time it was different. It was far from a mistake – and far from awkward. We hardly slept that night, and when I woke up Edward had made me brunch. Yes, I had had a man in my kitchen the second day in a row. Who would have thought that?  
And God, that brunch was the best I'd ever tasted. Back in Sweden my two best friends, Jessica, Angela and I always had a tradition for Sunday brunches. We would get together and bitch about our lives and the world, and we were certainly good at the bitching part. It was a Scandinavian trait; Jessica was from Norway and Angela from Denmark and the bitching brought us together. We studied at the same university in Stockholm and this was where we met. Whether or not the food was good depended on who made the food. Jessica used to make one heck of a brunch - one I thought could never be beaten by any other brunch, but this one, Edward's, was the best I'd ever tasted. Jessica had gotten some real competition now.  
Edward and I talked and talked and talked. It seemed like we would never actually shut up. We talked about everything that came to mind. He had make me laugh, and not my cute little: "I'm all pretty and innocent laugh" but the deep pig-growl laugh, and he was still here. He hadn't run yet.  
It was all too good. Too perfect and too great.  
And yet it wasn't, because that evening we had dinner again - this time we went out though. I'd still not told him that I couldn't cook if it meant my life. The evening repeated itself, and we ended up, Monday morning, wrapped in each other's arms in my bed naked as the day we were born. Again. I'd honestly not slept better since coming to this country.  
Edward was amazing. I'd always wondered how true butterflies felt, and this was as close as it was going get I was sure of it. Everything about him gave my goosebumps, a racing heart and butterflies so big I sometimes wondered how I hadn't get flown away. I swore sometimes it felt like there was electricity in the air and sometimes I was sure he could feel it too.  
What was it about this man? Why was he able to make me feel this way? Was this how it actually felt to be in love?  
I'd been with Jacob for five years and he never once gave me butterflies. Definitely not like this anyway. With Jacob everything was different, much more convenient. Edward and I had had sex a handful of times over the weekend, and that sex was better than any sex I'd had the last 5 years of my life.  
I wondered if it was possible to fall in love so quickly. To just know that it was right. And how did you know anyway?  
This weekend had gone by faster than any weekend I could remember. I'd been drinking Friday night, Saturday evening I'd 'made' Edward dinner, Sunday evening we'd gone out and here.. Monday morning we were getting ready for work. Together.  
He moved with such grace around the my bedroom looking for his scattered clothes. He made me feel inadequate in my moves, as I got ready for work, but somehow he also made me feel confident. I could feel his eyes on me as I moved. He looked at me as if I was a precious animal. His eyes shun, and god he looked great. Everything about Edward made him attractive. The way he moved. His hips swaying side from side. How he was so tall he made me feel small compared to him. The way he spoke as if he was truly 50 years older than he was. How intelligent he was. He was just so disgustingly perfect. Did I mention how good looking he was and how intelligent he was?  
I wanted to keep him. I knew that already and I despised myself for it. I was afraid to fall for someone again, yet I wanted to put him in my bag and take him with me and keep him with me forever. I wanted to keep him close with me all the time. He made me feel so comfortable and at easy. And I loved it.  
We quickly got ready for work, swallowed breakfast in a hurry, kissed each other goodbye and went off to work.  
During the day, we snuck in messages for each other when we were able to. The butterflies never stopped.  
He clouded my vision, my ability to think straight. He clouded everything. I couldn't stop thinking about him, his eyes, his smile, his voice…. His body.  
I desperately wanted to talk to someone about this amazing guy that I had met, so I called my sister. We chatted for hours when I'd gotten off from work. For the first time I hadn't gone to Alice's after work, so I was sure she would call me as soon as I was done talking to my sister.  
I missed Sweden and I missed my family, but finding Alice and her wonderful family had made me feel more welcome here than I'd felt in Sweden for a long time. I felt like I belonged here now. Or at least starting to.  
My sister was happy for me. I think the best way to describe her reaction was ecstatic. Her excitement hardly made my butterflies smaller. That night I fell asleep with the biggest grin on my face, after having read the last message from Edward: *Good night beautiful. Will definitely think about you until we see each other again*  
It was amazing.

And then we started dating. As in true dating. True American dating.

I wish I could say it was hard for us to stay apart from each other but I couldn't - we hardly tried to stay from each other. We met up all the time and spent as much time with each other we could.  
For months, Edward and I saw each other in secret, and it was exciting. More exciting than anything I'd ever tried before. The concept of dating was for me a very American notion, but it was fun to try – previously it was only something I'd seen in American movies and found to be odd.  
But Edward really made an effort to woo me. We ate at fancy restaurants. At McDonald's in the middle of the night when we had cravings. We even went skating! We saw movies together as we snuggled on the couch together. We almost spent every waking breathing moment with each other.  
We spend the night at each other's places every weekend. And he'd even seen me without make-up, and that was a big thing for me.  
And then we had sex. And we had lots of it.  
I'd never had better sex before, so that might have been the reason why we had so much of it.  
After months of dating, I could feel myself grow fonder of Edward. I was so close to actually loving him. I was scared as hell to let myself love him. I wanted to let go and let myself feel the love I had for him, but I couldn't – or perhaps I jut wouldn't let go and let myself feel the joy. I kept doubting it and what we had. I was sure he was going to run any chance he got, but he never did.  
Around September, 6 months after my move to Seattle and 5 months into the relationship I told him I'd go to Sweden for a couple of weeks to celebrate my birthday along with my niece's. I needed to get away to get some distance. I needed to talk to my sister, face-to-face. She was after all my older sister and that meant she was also my shrink and I hers. I needed her to tell me I was perfectly normal and what I was thinking was even more normal. I just needed her, and I needed her encouragement. I needed her to tell me that it was okay for me to love someone other than Jacob.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
** Bella POV**

When I arrived in Sweden I had a brilliant time. I'd really missed my family, but now I missed Edward. It was truly a paradox. One night I missed him so much that I called him and cried before I went to sleep. I felt pathetic, but that was truly my first sign that I was ready to let go of my old prejudices towards love and let me feel what I had now. I needed to accept that I loved Edward.  
It was overwhelming being back in Stockholm and I excused myself with that when I'd called him. I had a few errands to run here as well, and I was working on selling the apartment here in Stockholm I had bought with Jacob. When we split I had bought it from him, and it was currently being rented. The place was filled with memories I no longer wished to have anything to do with, and I wanted to move on. I had a new place now. On the other side of the world.  
The time difference made it a little tricky to speak with Edward and Alice, but messages lead the way. We kept each other updated, and I loved texting Edward. I'd even got him to download snapchat so we kept snapping pictures to each other.  
Before I'd gone to see my family Edward and I had become official, and I'd met his family. I'd already met Rosalie and Emmett and their adorable son Henry, as well as Jasper and Alice of course, but I hadn't met his adoptive parents yet. They didn't look much older than him, which confused me a great deal, but I didn't ask questions. They were both truly heartwarming people. It seemed they had a lot to celebrate as they had just been approved to adoption, so the family were all happy. It was wonderful to experience. And it truly felt like I had became a part of the family. It was just what I needed to be able to really feel at home in Seattle. Esme had asked for my phone number and added me on Facebook, so now – just like Rosalie and Alice we texted back and forth. She'd asked me to bring her some sofa cushions back with me from Sweden.

I had much fun catching up with everybody here in Stockholm though. My father had even taken a few days off work, which my sister, Elizabeth, and I joked profusely about. He worked as a cop, and he loved it. Sadly, he was a man who practically lived to work and didn't work to live, so in my early years of my childhood I hardly saw him at all. When my sister turned 9 and I turned 7 my mother asked him to stop working so much, so that we could have time together as a family. He respected that, so things lighten up and we started going on weekend outings etc. as a real family.

On my birthday my sister, Elizabeth, my niece, Sophie, Jessica, Angela and I went to a café to have brunch together. Angela had moved back to Copenhagen after finishing school, and Jessica back to Kristiansand, so we had hardly seen each other the last couple of years since we'd all finished university. Jessica had gotten a job in engineering in Copenhagen for 6 months, so she lived with Angela, but decided to move back home after that. Angela had gotten a job in Copenhagen as a chiropractor and had gotten herself a boyfriend, so we were all happy and had lots to catch each other up on. My sister was a stay at home mom and absolutely loved it. I suspected she found working stressful and ever since we grew up I remember she always just wanted a family. My niece was now three, so I practically expected my sister to call me any day now with news of an upcoming family member.

It was nice to be together with all the ladies of my life. I looked forwards to be able to introduce Esme, Alice and Rosalie to my groups of females here in Sweden. I told them all about them over brunch. I wasn't Jessica's or Edward's brunch, but it was absolutely delicious and all I wanted my birthday to be. All that was missing was Edward.  
I should have known something was going on though, because ever since I'd landed in Stockholm two weeks ago Edward and I had constantly texted and snapped, but today he hadn't texted me back, or wished me happy birthday. I'd found it odd, really. He wasn't likely to forget my birthday but I shook it off. I hadn't thought much off it since it was in the early hours of the morning in Seattle right now, but as I sat there at the café talking with my sister and two best friends about life, ups and downs and dreams – I saw Edward standing in the doorway.  
In his hands were ten beautiful red roses.  
That was the moment I truly let myself feel how much I really loved him. He'd travelled all this way to be with me on my birthday. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I shot up towards him. I practically jumped into his arms, and people were starting to look at us.  
I hugged him tight, kissed him and whispered, "I love you so much, you have no idea how much this means to me."  
He smiled his beautiful croaked smile, chuckled as he answered, "As I love you. Happy birthday, my love."


End file.
